The present invention relates generally to pin connectors, and more specifically to a pin array connector for coaxial cables which carry high-speed digital signals from computers or the like.
One typical example of prior art coaxial pin array connectors is shown and described in Japanese Patent Application (Tokugansho) 62-251425. This prior art connector comprises a block having throughholes for receiving pins of coaxial cables and a housing for receiving the block therein. The housing is formed with throughholes corresponding to those of the block for admitting signal pins of a circuit board therethrough into contact with the inner connectors of the pins of the coaxial cables. At the interface between the block and the housing are provided laminates of thin metal plates which are so cut and shaped as to produce various contacts on a two-dimensional space for establishing electrical connections between the outer conductors of the coaxial pins and grounding pins of the circuit board.
However, the number of such coaxial pins increases with ever increasing complexity of integrated circuits, and high level of precision is required to produce many contacts in a small area. A recent demand indicates that a pin connector needs to hold as many as 40.times.40 pins on a two-dimensional plane. One shortcoming of the prior art coaxial pin connector is that due to inherent manufacturing tolerances difficulty arises in precisely laminating the thin metal plates. In addition, difficulty arises in properly insulating power pins of the circuit board from the surrounding metal parts of the connector if such power pins have the same length as signal and grounding pins.